


discovery

by owotoya



Series: Fictober 2020 [5]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M, and thats about t, fictober day 5, otoya is clueless lol, otoya is pining over ranmaru, ranmaru is in denial but hat, ranmaru knows otoya likes him, reiji is mentioned haha ofc, soft as hell, these two are imo perfect for each other, they both like each other, they smooch, this is meant to be pretty fluff but im shitty at fluff so its probably not, this ship is a wonderful muse for a rockband au, this was originally super angsty, typical rocker love, you're welcome for changing it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27242851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owotoya/pseuds/owotoya
Summary: Kurosaki Ranmaru knows damn well Ittoki Otoya likes him, but there's no way he's going to let it get any farther than just a stupid crush.But then he started crying and it was kinda hard not to give in.
Relationships: Ittoki Otoya/Kurosaki Ranmaru
Series: Fictober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951426
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	discovery

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi!  
> i love this ship with my entire soul and have been working on this fic for about a year now!! finally get to post it and i'm proud of how it came out!!  
> this is not mature, i just put mature in all my tags to keep non mature audience away from my writing!!!  
> thanks so much for reading!

Kurosaki Ranmaru is a peculiar person. While he may seem dense and overall  _ rude _ , he is actually extremely aware of others' feelings. So much so that his current observations have become quite the issue. It seems every time he turns away, there is a pair of eyes that follow him. Yet, when he attempts to meet said eyes, they glance away. Ranmaru has had enough of this behavior. He has little tolerance for secrets. Especially when the person constantly looking at him doesn’t even know that he has noticed.

Ittoki Otoya is extremely dense and for some reason it is appealing to Ranmaru. Knowing that he holds something against the young guitarist thrills him. It’s a sick thrill that only Ranmaru will understand. Being so oblivious to one’s own feelings is the perfect way to get taken advantage of. Not that Ranmaru  _ wants  _ to take advantage of him. He just wants to see what he will get out of Otoya if he puts up a good front. 

“Ranmaru-senpai!” Otoya calls the bassist after a jam session. Ranmaru invited Otoya to see him on a stage by himself. Quartet Night is fun and all, but Ranmaru is a rocker at heart. “You were great!” Otoya’s compliment brings a small smile to Ranmaru’s face. His eyes darken for a brief second as he pulls Otoya to his side, helping the younger out of the way of a drum set being rolled away. “Sorry!” Otoya apologizes to the woman dragging the heavy instrument around. He gets ignored, of course, but that doesn’t bother him too much. 

The heat backstage makes everyone frustrated, especially those who spent the past hour on stage. Ranmaru makes sure to drink water and keep his complaints to himself. To him, the heat brought some type of adrenaline rush and as much as he wants to go home and shower, he can’t ignore the heavy weight on his shoulders. There is something terribly wrong with the way he is thinking lately. 

“Anyway, Ranmaru-senpai, you were great!” Otoya quickly stops himself and giggles, his lips quivering up into a cute smile. “Oops, I already said that,” he murmurs to himself and Ranmaru swears he almost grabs Otoya by the collar of his shirt and pulls him in for a kiss. His calloused fingers tremble as he shoves his bass into its case, mostly from dehydration and also from hunger. Ranmaru forgot to eat before his session. This is a bad habit he’s picked up ever since joining Quartet Night. He spends too much time practicing instead of putting food in his belly. A horrible perfectionist is what he is. 

“Thanks,” Ranmaru responds, slipping his case over his shoulder before turning to finally face Otoya (which pleases the redhead very much). “Let’s get a bite and then I’ll take you home.” Ranmaru begins walking, feeling those eyes on the back of his head again. He turns around and notices Otoya hasn’t moved. “Come on, kid,” Ranmaru says a bit impatiently. Otoya immediately responds by blinking and then following after the older male. 

The place they choose to eat at is inexpensive and definitely the best spot for two people who just want to get home right away. At least, that’s what Ranmaru wants. Otoya, however, is genuinely disappointed that the two of them didn’t go somewhere a bit fancier. Ranmaru is a musician who needs food in his stomach after playing so hard on stage, so he couldn’t be bothered to complain. For now, Otoya will just imagine the two of them picked a nice restaurant and had a long conversation. 

After their meal, Otoya practically skips after Ranmaru, going on about how much he enjoyed the older male’s show and how he wishes he could be part of it. After all, Ranmaru is  _ supposed  _ to think Otoya’s true intention for attending his show was to practice. Otoya wanted to study music, but he also wanted to study  _ him.  _ And who was he to put the kid down for his small, meaningless crush. Only an asshole would take advantage of someone as young and as pure as him. 

_ Guess I’m an asshole.  _

Their meal was delicious and very well needed. Now that food was out of Ranmaru’s head he could properly focus on Otoya. This was the first time the two of them have ever spent time together for so long. Their meal was mostly Otoya talking and Ranmaru nodding along, but what really bothered Ranmaru was that all Otoya talked about was him.  _ Ranmaru-senpai this, and Ranmaru-senpai that… _ Ranmaru really wanted to believe Otoya was just a nice kid, but it didn’t seem that way at all. Otoya  _ liked _ him. There was absolutely nothing he could do about that besides give in. 

As Ranmaru walked Otoya home, he stayed silent. There were so many things he wanted to say. Yet, he couldn’t open his mouth or even get a single word out because Otoya wouldn’t stop going on and on about…  _ him _ . 

“When I got my ticket, I was really nervous! I wondered if I would even fit in because I’ve never attended a concert like that before.” Otoya finally caught himself mid sentence, looking at Ranmaru and smiling. “What do you think, Ranmaru-senpai? Did I fit in well?” 

_ Finally.  _

Ranmaru lifts his head and glances at Otoya who walks beside him and smiles so sweetly. His bright eyes shine under the moonlight and his pink cheeks, full of color and happiness make Ranmaru’s heart swell. This kid likes  _ him.  _ Ranmaru considers himself to be a mean person, so why? How can someone as kind as Otoya even consider being anything more than a friend with a person like him? 

This thrills Ranmaru beyond words. He has Otoya wrapped around his finger. He hates knowing that, but what else could he do? Wait till Otoya decides to like someone else? Why would he do that when Otoya isn’t all that bad? He’s shorter than Ranmaru, has a cute voice, has a sweet face and such a kind personality. Any girl would kill to be with Ittoki Otoya and Ranmaru is ruining their chances. 

“What do I think?” Ranmaru repeats, then looks down once again. He almost scoffs. This poor kid is wasting his time. When he realizes how cruel and sadistic Ranmaru really is, he won’t want anything to do with him. 

“Yeah!” Otoya says, leaning closer to Ranmaru. Otoya smells good. He smells sweet. His innocence and purity really is shining through. Otoya is so cute, so gentle, so  _ fragile _ and it makes Ranmaru crazy. 

Ranmaru has never had anyone by his side like this. He’s never had someone admire him, look up to him, consider him as anything more than a friend. He’s never experienced true love or happiness with a single person. Otoya, however… 

_ He’s looking for someone to love and care for.  _

Otoya wants to share his love with Ranmaru and that is an issue. Ranmaru doesn’t want him to share anything. He doesn’t want him to commit to someone who doesn’t even know how to love someone back. 

“I think you should stop trying to be with me.” 

_ There, he said it. Now he can go back to living his life peacefully and without any disturbance.  _

There’s a long silence. Ranmaru can feel his heart begin to pick up speed once again. Otoya is supposed to have a negative reaction, but now that is the last thing Ranmaru wants. He won’t be able to face a sad Otoya and he wishes he could take back what he just said. He knows all too well that he will immediately lose his composure if the redhead looks even the slightest bit emotional. 

“Did I get annoying?” Otoya finally asks and Ranmaru lifts his head, noticing the forced smile on the younger male’s lips. “I’m sorry, Ranmaru-senpai. I tend to cling to people really easily.” Ranmaru didn’t realize it, but they already arrived at Otoya’s shared apartment. He lives with Tokiya Ichinose, someone Ranmaru always found difficult to get along with. They have respect for one another, and Ranmaru really doubts anything could change that. Besides that, he hardly knows anything about Tokiya and even if he did get to spend time with him, he doubts it would be as nice as being with Otoya. 

“I’ll try to keep my distance from now on,” Otoya mutters, his smile still there. Ranmaru notices his lips tremble before the younger male turns his back to him. “Thank you for tonight! I had a lot of fun!” Ranmaru wonders how Otoya can even keep his composure when he was just rejected so hard. He wonders how Otoya can still have such a cheerful tone of voice and be able to speak to the man that just broke his heart. 

Otoya fumbles for the keys in his pockets, hands very obviously trembling. 

Otoya feels disgusting. He is used to being called out for his rambling and his close behavior, but he thought Ranmaru might enjoy that side to him. The older male is always so kind to him and even if he may seem irritated, he always tries to make everyone around him feel comfortable. Otoya always liked that side of Ranmaru. He can be aggressive, temperamental and maybe even rude, but he is genuinely one of the kindest people Otoya has ever met. 

For the past few weeks, Ranmaru has been teaching him tips and tricks about stage performances. They have spent more time together than they ever have before. Reiji always liked to make comments, saying he was jealous and that Ranmaru was stealing his “precious Otoyan” away from him. Otoya always assured Reiji that the two of them were just practicing. 

_ It was so fun. _

Then Otoya began to develop feelings for Ranmaru. He wanted to be with him all the time and make him smile. He wanted Ranmaru to reach out to him because while Otoya expressed every emotion he was feeling, Ranmaru kept himself sheltered. There were a few times he spoke up, but even then it didn’t feel like Otoya was able to get through to him. Even so, Otoya was happy. He always skimmed their texts before bed, recalling the few times Ranmaru told him to “have a good night” and “to get enough sleep.” 

Otoya felt so happy. 

_ He was so wrong to feel that way.  _

Otoya finally manages to pull his keys out of his pocket and jams them into the keyhole, twisting and turning until he can get the door to open. He doesn’t want to face Ranmaru again, but he knows he has to. He has to say goodnight. 

Swallowing, Otoya steps inside and turns around, looking into Ranmaru’s eyes. He can feel the tears coming and he can’t stop shaking. He begins to wonder where he went wrong. Did he ask too many questions? Is he annoying? The redhead doesn’t know what to do. All he can think about is closing this door and crying. 

“Goodnight,” Otoya manages. His voice cracks, but it’s good enough. He begins to shut the door, looking down at the ground as he prepares to let his tears fall. He doesn’t want his friendship with Ranmaru to end. He feels sick with himself for developing feelings for him. If he had just stayed normal and kept his emotions at bay, Ranmaru wouldn’t want him to go away. 

Just before Otoya can shut the door all the way, Ranmaru stops it with his foot. Otoya’s eyes widen as the older man steps inside and shuts the door behind him. Otoya barely has time to react before he’s pushed against a wall, forced to look down as Ranmaru peers over him. His tears finally fall, hands grazing the white paint behind him. 

“Otoya,” Ranmaru starts. His voice is deep, quiet. Otoya shivers upon hearing his name. He isn’t sure how to read the atmosphere. Ranmaru rejected him only a few seconds ago and now he is inside of his home, pushing him against a wall, looking down at him as if he was some kind of helpless animal. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” 

Otoya stares down at his shoes. He watches his tears fall on the mat underneath his feet. His cheeks are red and his eyes are glistening. “Ranmaru-senpai, really, it’s okay-” 

“It’s not okay,” Ranmaru interrupts. Otoya flinches and Ranmaru sighs. He feels like he just kicked a puppy.  _ Never a good feeling.  _ “I… I like that you want to be with me.” Ranmaru feels awkward. His cheeks are a light shade of pink and as much as he wants to conceal his eyes, he knows better than to back away now. Otoya is upset and he needs to do something,  _ anything.  _ “I think it’s cute.” 

“But you just said-” 

“Forget what I just said.” 

“But-” 

Ranmaru suddenly cups Otoya’s cheeks in his hands. When he lifts the younger’s face, he pulls him in for a sweet kiss, and although it only lasts for a few seconds, it’s enough to make Otoya’s heart flutter. He leans up into the kiss until Ranmaru pulls away. He stares up at the bassist for a moment and then puts his fingers to his lips. “R-Ranmaru-senpai…” 

“Listen, kid,” Ranmaru starts. He rubs the back of his neck and sighs again. “Seriously, how do I say this?” Ranmaru glances around awkwardly then nods to himself. “Right, okay. You’re adorable.” 

“What-” 

“You’re really sweet and considerate. I wish you would have just a little more confidence in yourself, but that’s something we can all work on right? Except maybe Reiji, but-” 

“Rei-chan?” 

“Yeah, Rei-cha-” Ranmaru clears his throat. “We’re talking about you right now. Honestly, kid, you make me kinda nervous, but you also make me feel comfortable. I could listen to you talk all day, but maybe talk more about yourself, yeah? It’s better when you tell me about yourself, not about… me.” 

Otoya nods as if he understands what Ranmaru is talking about. 

“Look, what I’m trying to say is that I like you a lot. If I could, I would spend every night like this with you in my arms, but that shit is difficult for me. I have this whole career and so do you and I don’t know if you’re willing to take time out of your day to spend time with me and I don’t know if that’s something I’m willing to do either.” 

Otoya tilts his head to the side. “But we’re spending time together right now,” he mumbles. Suddenly, he clasps his hands over his mouth. That sounded like he was back talking, which definitely wasn’t his intention, but it’s enough to make Ranmaru sigh. 

_ Right, they’ve been spending time together for the past two weeks and it hasn’t interfered with Ranmaru’s work at all. Actually, it’s made things better for him.  _

**_Ranmaru is searching for an excuse not to be happy and it’s so plainly obvious._ **

“Yeah… that… we are, huh?” Ranmaru sighs again. A deep, irritated sigh. Not irritated with Otoya, but with himself for denying the truth so much. Otoya makes him happy. Not only that, but he has become a muse for all of his recent songs. 

_ Ranmaru has become soft.  _

Suddenly, Ranmaru pulls away from Otoya and the younger man looks up at him curiously. The bassist puts a hand to his forehead, mumbles something to himself, then suddenly, he offers his hand to the guitarist in front of him. 

Otoya hesitates. 

“Ranmaru-senpai-”

“How much do you like me, Otoya?” 

Otoya freezes for a moment. His eyes water again and he shakes his head. “I  _ love  _ you.” 

Ranmaru sighs for what seems like the hundredth time that night. Eventually, he turns his head so that he is properly looking at Otoya. His lips curve up into a small smile. 

“Then let’s go down this crazy fucking path together.” 


End file.
